Joining Your The Forest Dedicated Server

The Forest drops you into a wooded nightmare full of cannibals, caves, and questionable decisions. Renting a dedicated server lets you survive the place with friends instead of alone, but the join process has a quirk most other games skip: you need a Steam Game Server Login Token (GSLT) before anyone can connect. This guide walks through the whole setup, from token generation to clicking Join.

Step 1: Generate a Steam GSLT

The Forest's dedicated servers require a free token tied to your Steam account.

1. Open the Steam Game Server Account Management page and log in if you aren't already.
2. Scroll to the bottom and enter 242760 as the App ID. That's The Forest.

1. Add a short memo if you want to remember which server the token belongs to. Useful if you run more than one.
2. Click Create to generate the token.
3. Copy the Login Token string somewhere safe before leaving the page.

Step 2: Apply the Token in the Control Panel

The server needs that token before it will accept inbound connections.

1. Open your HolyHosting control panel and stop the server if it's running.
2. From the panel sidebar, open your server settings page.
3. Locate the Steam Server Login Token (GSLT) field.

1. Paste the token you copied earlier.
2. Return to the main panel page and start the server again.

Once it boots, the server is live and discoverable.

Step 3: Connect From Inside the Game

The in-game browser is the most reliable way to join.

1. Launch The Forest from Steam.
2. From the title screen, click Multiplayer, then Join Game.

1. On the left, select Dedicated (Internet).
2. Type your server name in the filter box and hit refresh.
3. After a brief moment, your server should appear. Click Join.

1. If you've set a password, enter it at the prompt.
2. Click Join once more and you're in.

Not sure what your server is called? Open your server settings in the panel and look for the Server Name field. Confirm it or change it to whatever you like, then restart the server so the new name takes effect.

Step 4: Joining Through the Steam Server Browser

Sometimes the in-game list is sluggish or doesn't surface the server at all. The Steam client has its own server manager you can fall back on, though it's less consistent, so save it for when the in-game route fails.

1. From the main panel page, find the IP Address:Port field.

1. Copy the full address.
2. In the Steam client, open View > Servers.
3. Click Add a Server, paste the address, then Add this address to favorites.

1. Refresh the list, highlight your server, then press Connect.

The game launches and pulls you straight into the session.

Troubleshooting

Server isn't showing in the in-game browser. Dedicated (Internet) takes a few seconds to populate the first time you open it. Give it a refresh or two. If nothing appears, double check that the filter text matches your server name exactly.

Steam says the server is offline. Confirm the server is actually running in the control panel. Wait a minute or two for Steam to register it, then refresh. If the issue persists, verify the IP and port you pasted are correct. The Find Games at this Address button is a quick sanity check before adding to favorites.

Useful Links

• Steam Game Server Account Management page
• The Forest on Steam
• More The Forest guides in the HolyHosting knowledgebase